Peaceful Times
by AlyaESayer
Summary: Everyone knew the deeds of The Dragon Born, however no one really knew who she was, well apart from her husband and the friends she made on her journey


She went by many names, The Dragon Born, The Harbringer, The Listener, however there was only one person who knew her real name and that was her husband Balimund, who she met during her days running with the thieves' guild before she took over as Guild Master. They bonded over the art of crafting specialised arrows for her deadly bow, her way of flirting was bringing him and endless supply of fire salts to keep his forge running. Though if you ask him, he found himself getting distracted every time they worked together as she cut more than enough firewood for her arrows, with some leftovers for his shop as she always sold her extra ingots to him with a discount.

Balimund was devastated when she disappeared for a year after being arrested for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he managed to get into contact with her once again as she one day appeared in Riften with a cart full of ingots and ore for him along with various pelts she managed to pick up as the newest member of the companions. The moment he saw her he noticed she was wearing an amulet of Mira and asked for her hand there and then. Allowing her to have a base of operations in Riften as they brought a house together on the outskirts of the small fishing town, with easy access to the rest of the province , allowing Tallis to keep doing her work as a champion, a thief and as the infamous dragonborn. At first they wondered how they were going to live with each other but they learnt how to work around each other as the basement became Tallis' secret base and Balimund knew never to go down there without her presence as he made the mistake of drinking a invisibility potion of hers and freaked out most of Riften as he decided to craft his wife more arrows as she allowed him to experiment with all the dragon bones and dragon scales she kept bringing back for him, making him the most sort after blacksmith in Skyrim.

Tallis found herself doing more and more things based in Riften as she raised through the ranks in the thieves guild, however the more she did the more stray children she brought home, Lucia pulled at the Dragonborn's heart strings as Tallis brought her a loaf of bread, then simply listened to her story and had to take her back to Riften. Alesan had to come home as he had no family either but wanted to be trained as a blacksmith and knew her husband was the best man for the job. Though she did love all the arrows he made for her in-between her missions.

After Alduin was defeated, Tallis was known in every corner of Skyrim, however the civil war became more violent causing the Dragon Born to finally forced to take a step into the conflict and finally take a side, despite being a Nord she choose that of the Imperium, however she saw it as a way to stabilise the region, finally allowing her the chance to throw the Thalmor out forever as she made a point to quickly dispatch them at every opportunity, though if General Tallius asked she had no idea how they came to have slash marks along with burn wounds despite her specialised ebony blades being the only weapons capable of causing such wounds. Each battle the Dragon Born was involved with caused a massacre, then the moment she walked onto the field caused all Stormcloak forces to instantly surrender

After a number of years things begun to go downhill for both the thief's guild and the assassin's guild so the dragon born merged the two guilds. Business seemed to prosper as the Dragon Born took over as the Arl, allowing those with talents to run various shops to make a living and still be a part of both guilds. Eventually the College of Magi fell apart at the seams as none dared to enter or train within its halls so it was declared that the old thief's guild would become the new college of magi, allowing the thieves' guild and the assassin's guild to be run from the back rooms and the basement of the Dragon Born's great hall. This caused the guilds to grow in ways none had foreseen as they protected each other, if there was a threat upon one member you threated every member and you knew there would be a visit from the Harbringer herself. Everyone loved the way Riften was now run as they could have a life outside the guild, with their own space and family and if their talents were required for a job, they were summoned and that worked for everyone. The Mother would occasionally speak to the Dragon Born but only to take out targets who threated Riften's way of life.

Aela and Farkas finally moved to Riften was well and became the Dragon Born's bodyguards not that she needed to be protected but it made Aela feel better about her dear friend after all they went through a lot together in the Companions Guild. Plus she really loved hunting the occasional Giant and Mammoth with her shield-sister and Farkas may not have admitted it but he always had to know where Aela was and a few years after their move they married in the temple of Mira.

Karliah's talents became very useful for both guilds as well as Riften as she became the queen of ancient legends, hunting down ancient relics and bringing them back allowing scholars from all over Tamriel to travel to the city of thieves to purchase these relics. No legend was safe from her grasp, every rumour was taken seriously. If she found herself having to explore ancient snow elf ruins, she always took the Dragon Born and Aela with her as she was well aware that these two were far more capable to taking them down than she could ever be. Their adventures became very profitable as they would split the treasure three ways, Aela took the weapons while the Dragon Born took the materials, the alchemy things she kept but the metals were always given to her husband. With Karliah's help the Dragon Born was able to master each and every shout known in the Dvovakin language allowing her to spend a year teaching the Grey Beards her Dragon Shouts to pass onto younger Dragon Born generations.

The Dragon Born returned from her journey from the Throat of the World just as her eldest turned fifteen and she started to show signs of magical power, thankfully this was when the Dragon Born decided to stop hiding her own magical abilities and joined her daughter in her daily spell casting lessons underneath Riften, these lessons allowed the townsfolk to see that the Dragon Born wasn't just a legend of great power she was a nord with skills beyond most men. Both of the girls loved their lessons together and during the yearly festivals they were able to perform in front of the large crowds which grew larger and larger with each passing year.

Daphine even moved to Riften as well allowing the Blades to become the Guards of Riften, who only left the city when a dragon was sighted and always took the Dragon Born with them to make sure the beast stayed slain. The youngest daughter had a knack for fighting beasts and Daphine took her under her wing as her right hand and could see the training she had received with the Companions showing through. Once the youngest of the two daughters came to the age of fifteen she was given a blade for her birthday, that had been infused with some of the shouts she had mastered over her many years travelling.

The Dragon Born eventually died peacefully in her sleep at an old age once her soul had been separated from the beast within, however the ancient Daedric gods had other plans for her as she opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by each and every one of them as they argued over her soul.

''I didn't choose this'' she bellowed. ''you all forced me to be your champions''

''Oh please you have nothing but a desire to help those around you, it wasn't our fault that fools decided to please us for their own selfish needs'' barked one of the male princes

''So I was just a pawn in your sick and twisted games'' shouted the Dragon Born as she summoned Dragon Bane to her hand, more than willing to take on anyone who dared to challenge the great Dragon Born.

''You really think you can challenge us child'' barked a different Prince

''Would I have summoned my favourite blade otherwise'' she smiled as the soul sucking enchantment she had added begun to hum, hungry for the power these Deadric princes had.

Noturna simply smiled with her two ravens on each shoulder and took a step backwards as a sign of respect to her Nightingale Thief, knowing that the only Deadric Prince she had willingly allowed to lay claim to her soul was that of the mistress of darkness. While the others tricked her through their minions on her travels.

The battle tore the afterlife in two, causing souls that were trapped to be freed and only one Deadric prince to be left standing

''You need to fix this child'' barked Nocturna

''Tell me something I don't know'' The Dragonborn muttered as she tried to catch her breathe

''Fix this'' howled The Mother

''And How am I going to do that?'' shouted the Dragonborn as she searched high and low for the creepy yet familiar face

''Walk your world and send the lost souls to where they belong, then you can join your fellow Companions as well as your loving husband''

''Do I have a choice in this?'' the Dragonborn asked

''No'' replied both Nocturna and The Mother

From that moment on the Dragonborn walked the land, stuck between life and death in a never ending battle to send lost souls, any dragons that rose were instantly struck down as he rode the land on her demonic horse. Once every ten years she was allowed to visit her husband and friends in Sovngarde for a full day before she was forced to get back to work, at which point the legends of her deeds became just that legends and even now she walks his plane of existence to drive back lost souls and evil beings in order to keep those still alive a peaceful life.

In her heart she knew her path between life and death would never end, but at least she had a purpose.


End file.
